Over Half way done

Wow, this quilt is so different than most that I have made lately.  So dark!  But I love it, graphic colors and patterns are what I love the most.  

Two halves about about to become one!  Just like Sean and I later this year (haha... barf!)

The end result.  Awesome.  

The easy part for me is now done.  I always make the tops of quilts very quickly but finishing one is a different story.

This quilt is going to have a home at the home I'm living at now.  I've been living with my grandfather in California for two and a half years and he has always been easygoing with my crafts taking over the house.  He seemed to like this quilt far more than the others, so it will stay here with him as a thank you gift for everything that he has done for me.  It's probably not even enough for all that he has done but at least it is a start.  

Love you G-pa!

- Bryn

1/8 of the project done, if that

Making progress right?  Slowly but surely the quilt is coming along.  

It starts in stack, goes to rows, rows to sections, sections to a whole quilt.  So many more rows to sew

 This is week is the busiest week at work and I'm sick to boot.  I won't get a chance to do much more today but hopefully in the next couple of days the quilt will come along.

- Bryn

Fall is coming - in about 9 months

Winter is officially here about a week ago, time to continue work on a fall project.  

Lots of colors and many hours later I came up with all my blocks completed.  Its always good to know how many of each color you have so I label mine

 Next step way laying them all out!  I didn't want to turn my computer back on to see what size to make so I used the quilt from my bed as a template.

And a couple of hours later this is what you get!  Looks pretty good.  It looks random but it is not.  It takes a lot of planning.   

I put everything together and decided there were a couple colors that didn't quite match everything else.  I left one or two of each colors in the quilt.  I plan on re-purposing the grey to use on the second quilt.

Now that the major work is out of the way I should really finish my brother and wife's wedding quilt.  It was in September which may be considered fall so it is only apt that it be finished now, or by their first anniversary!

- Bryn

Fall quilt continued

After my initial buying and cutting spree I found out that 8 different fabrics were not enough.  As I wrote in my last post I ended up with about 25 colors.  More shopping was the key!  I went to JoAnns with a gift card from my aunt and bought a couple more colors.  

I spent an afternoon cutting all my fabrics apart to sew them back together.  Each block ended up being a little smaller than 4 1/2 inches square.  

My goal is to make a throw quilt that could also be used as a quilt for a twin size bed.  After adding more colors from M&L I probably made too many blocks.  My back pain for another person gain.  Someone might be getting a cool fall quilt in probably 2-3 years at the rate I finish things!

Do these colors say fall?   I think so.  Maybe not the teal but I can't make a quilt without using at least a little bit of teal.

-Bryn

Little bunting bag

I found another tutorial online that I could not pass up.  I found it at Just Another hang up probably from Pinterest. This little bag, I love bags, didn't seem too difficult and it would force me to organize my scrap pile.  One of my favorite fabrics to use is muslin and that is what the tutorial called for, perfect!  

 Using my scrap pile I cut tiny triangles in the same color family.  I love making fabric crafts with the ombre color patterns, which up until recently I called a color progression.  I had been doing the ombre style before it was cool.  I'm such a hipster!

 Even the backside of the fabric looked cool.  Too bad it will never be seen again.

 Once both side of the bag was done it was sewing time.  On went the zipper and the lining.

 I think it's kinda cute.  I'm thinking I might shorten it a little bit so there is less non decorated fabric at the bottom.

I wanted the bag to be square when I cut it but now it seems a little odd.  That might solve to extra fabric at the bottom too.

 I'll figure that out tomorrow!

Well the scarp orginizing didn't go that far but the end product is pretty cute.  Tomorrow I probably won't get too much crafting done but the Wednesday and Thursday I have off!  More wedding and Christmas presents here I come!

- Bryn

Christmas pillows

I finished the tops of some Christmas Pillows recently and really needed to finish them off.  Work has kept me busy and out of my crafting mode.  I had an evening shift tonight which gave me a lot of time to finish them off.

 All Done.  I made one without the red trim around the edges and tore it apart to add the red.  It adds a wonderful finishing detail.  I will have to work on all of them again.  I keep meaning to make a ByBryn tag but I keep forgetting.  Only I would remember to add something after it is completely done.  Oh well, for another day.

 This is my everyone Christmas present this year.  I have about 6 more to make after finishing 4 already.  I just couldn't throw away all these cut pieces.  Another day off tomorrow, another day of crafting ahead.  

Or wedding planning...

- Bryn

Making Christmas

Halloween has not even happened yet and everywhere you look there is Christmas stuff.  I have not quite the Christmas bug yet but I need to start on all my present projects

I bought a couple new Christmas fabrics while they were on sale and added them to all my stash of green and reds.

I had the fabric laid out in different patterns.

Mixed up

My usual color organization is color progression.  Dark to light of each color

Colors together

I went with the second option.  It looks much more like me.

How many other projects do I need to finish, many.  So why start something new.  Because that is what I do!
I assembled enough fabric to make 4 fronts of Christmas Stockings.  I took some brown wrapping paper and cut a general pattern for the stocking.  Not too bad for a first try.

 4 Christmas stockings for two couples.  They look nice, but they are not even close to being done!

Cutting the lining was next.  The problem about getting better at the stuff you make is having to do all the steps to make it look like it should.

Stockings with-in Stockings - so meta!

Now to add a detail.  Not sure add the toe and heel detail.  I think it might be busy enough already, so no red on the bottom.

Add red or not - that is the question

I put together the outside and the inside lining.  

My final addition was a felt top.  It's not a Christmas stocking without the white trip on top. 

After turning the felt and putting the finishing touches they are done!  Three Christmas presents and one for me!

Tomorrow is another Christmas project with many of the scraps from this project.  I have to get up at 5:30am for work so I expect not a ton of progress.  To another day!

-Bryn

Creating a rainbow

If I am putting together a quilt that I found online, I always like to have some reference to go to when I am creating my own.  A big color picture and a short tutorial always helps the process.

Right now the quilt is in two separate pieces.  I need 7 more blocks to complete the row on the side.  To make it a queen size quilt I have to add 3 more rows to the width.

All of my Harry Potter watching is complete.  Ready for the final movie at the end of this week.

Putting together rainbows

I was planning on going to the beach today, well needless to say, that didn't happen.  I laid out the majority of the rest of the quilt.  I had to cut some extra pieces of teal, orange and yellow.  I thought I might be able to make my quilt with no fabric repeating but I was wrong.  So close!  But my stash is probably big enough as it is.

I was able to sew together 3 more rows today.  Only 4 more to go from what I set out in the picture above.  

Only need to add about 3 or 4 more rows to the width to make a queen size.

My project stack is growing!  And this is only part of what I'm working on above.  I've got a whole resuable bag full of projects just waiting for their turn.

4 1/2 Harry Potter movies down, 2 1/2 more to go! 

Piecing together

I finished cutting up most of the pieces of the quilt yesterday and starting piecing them together today. 

It is hard to tell the complete pattern, the floor that I work on is very distracting.  When I add in the white between the colors it will make a huge difference.

I will have to piece together all of these and then add additional rows afterwords.  I don't have a lot of crafting space in this house.  Have to be creative with not only crafts but construction!

3 rows down, 8 to go.  3 Harry Potter movies down, 4 to go.  Off to work, the quilt will wait until tomorrow.